


Under Atomic Skies

by ContrivedChaos



Series: Chlodine Week 2018 [3]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Anniversary, Awkward Romance, Chlodine - Freeform, Chloe x Nadine - Freeform, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-30 11:44:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15751008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ContrivedChaos/pseuds/ContrivedChaos
Summary: Nadine knows next to nothing about planning a vacation. Sure, she gets how it works in theory. But when it comes to researching places to stay, things to eat, and fun touristy things to do with her girlfriend, she honestly feels way out of her league.





	Under Atomic Skies

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my Chlodine Week 2018 submissions for Tumblr.
> 
> Day 3 Prompt: Lights

Nadine Ross knows next to nothing about planning a vacation.

Sure, she gets how it works in theory. But when it comes to researching places to stay, things to eat, and fun touristy things to do with her girlfriend, she honestly feels way out of her league.

As the head of Shoreline, this was never an issue. She had her people for that. And as a treasure hunter, her partner and colleague, Chloe Frazer, is the one who follows the leads, finds the jobs, and makes the connections. Nadine rarely has to think about where she’s going to be in any given week. Chloe likes to take care of everything, except for Nadine’s masterful weapons prep and reconnaissance.

And that’s part of the problem, because Chloe doesn’t even realize that she’s going on vacation, and there are only 2 weeks left until their anniversary.

Turning on the laptop she purchased to use at home, Nadine goes over all the pages she bookmarked to narrow down her search. Should she purchase a flight package or hunt around for deals? Would a guided tour be too much, or should they just rent a Jeep with a winch? Would they need to pack formal clothes, or would fine dining be overkill?

Somehow, despite all the fancy hotels, gourmet restaurants, and stereotypical tourist spots in Reykjavik, none of it seems even remotely suitable to celebrate their third year of partnership. Sure, Chloe would insist she’s happy with whatever Nadine decides, but deep down the former mercenary knows it’s not enough. None of it is enough for Chloe.

Sighing exasperatedly, Nadine opens a new tab and Googles camping supply rentals. Deciding that if she’s going to do this, she’s going to do this right. Without any material fashion or flair. Under the Northern Lights. Just she and her partner, alone in a tent, under a canopy of stars. Without the baggage of a tourist group to tie them down.

Filling her virtual cart with the appropriate supplies, Nadine thanks whichever god is listening that she doesn’t have to purchase these items new. Once she buys the plane tickets and rents the Jeep, Operation Romantic Vacation will be officially underway. Nadine’s nerves are running like electricity along a wire. She does her best to calm her breathing and takes out her phone to call Chloe.

Her hand drops to play anxiously with the square-shaped object in her pocket.

\------------------------

As expected, Chloe practically doesn’t let go of Nadine’s arm the entire flight. Departing from London in the early morning, the treasure hunters make it to Keflavík International before lunch. As they exit the craft, Nadine can finally give her upper arm a shake, infused with tints of red for how tightly Chloe had squeezed it. Chloe beams sheepishly in a mix of apology and excitement, the anticipation of their exploits over the next 5 days reflecting brightly behind her eyes.

At the car rental desk, Nadine is disappointed to find the sport utility vehicle she reserved is not a Jeep. Neither does it have a winch, which she realizes in hindsight was probably overkill. She figures the black Dacia Duster will have to do. And just to be certain, she purchases every insurance option available.

It’s an hour to pick up their tent, sleeping bags, and other supplies in Reykjavik, and another 2 hours to load up with groceries and start driving toward their destination. Mount Esja, while visible from almost anywhere in the city, seems to rise like a wave out of the earth the further north they travel. It’s not the most impressive expanse of highlands they have seen by any means, but their foreseeable outing, and the promise of the view to come, seem to make Chloe the most excited Nadine has ever seen her.

When they reach the Mosskogar camping grounds in the shadow of the peak, they pay their entry fee and bypass the garden and picnic area for a site away from the crowds. Further up the paths from the families and visitors gathering for a meal, it is a bit quieter and more peaceful, and the treasure hunters can begin pitching their tent in relative solace.

Even though the northern hemisphere has just entered fall, the frigid air reminds them they are indeed in Iceland. Nadine had made certain to rent two heavy down sleeping bags and a layered, waterproof tent to keep out the cold. Not that she knows how much time they will spend in their shelter, but as always, she likes to be prepared. Especially where Chloe is concerned.

At least for now, Chloe is content to collapse onto her sleeping bag for a momentary respite, falling onto the material with an exaggerated plop and a cheeky grin in Nadine’s direction. Their journey has been relatively short so far, and there is plenty of daylight left to explore and check out the restaurant near the campgrounds. However, instead of voicing these facts to her girlfriend, Nadine plops down next to her. They bask in the moment, and the realization of where they are and why they are here finally sink in.

Chloe’s hand finds Nadine’s between the sleeping bags, the edges of her trimmed nails caressing Nadine’s sensitive palm. Her face is practically beaming with its own light source, and she giggles while worrying her bottom lip nervously with her teeth.

“I still can’t believe you did all this, china….and that we’re actually here. What an absolutely precious piece of work you are.”

“Precious, Frazer? That’s one I haven’t heard before.”

Rolling over on top of her girlfriend, Chloe’s moderate weight upon her chest is a small comfort that Nadine suspects she will never get tired of.

Chloe lays her chin on top of her hands and leans down to kiss the former mercenary chastely on the lips. “I’m sure I’ve told you that before. You are absolutely the sweetest, darling. Now it’s been 3 years, for gods’ sake. Say my name.”

Nadine blushes at her momentary lapse into old habits before acquiescing, only much more sultry than necessary. “Okay, Chloe.” The words come out deliberate and with a tinge of heat, sending a prominent shiver down the thief’s spine at the implications and causing her lips to crash back down to Nadine’s.

They muck around in the tent like teenagers a while longer, but eventually, the lack of a solid meal all day catches up with them. The sounds of their mutual growling stomachs eventually drives them forth from the tent in search of food.

An early supper consists of hastily made sandwiches and leftover biscuits from the airport coffee shop. With the amount of daylight left, Chloe insists that they check out some of the trails near their camp. Locking up everything except their phones and a pair of binoculars in the SUV, Chloe grabs Nadine by the hand and leads the smaller woman up the trail.

To Nadine’s dismay, they haven’t yet seen an abundance of wildlife on their trip, and this initial hike is no exception. Other than pointing out the occasional mink or arctic tern to Chloe, Nadine doesn’t have much to work with as she recounts to her partner what limited knowledge she has about the native animals on the island.

“Arctic terns have the longest migration pattern of any species on Earth. They fly between the north and south poles each year. That’s almost 20,000 kilometers. The mink isn’t actually native to Iceland. It was imported almost a century ago for fur farming. But they’ve become so invasive that now they are frequently hunted to keep their population in check.”

As usual, Chloe listens intently, but voices her input frequently. Maybe tomorrow they can go to the coast and search for some polar bears or puffins, Nadine jokes. Even if a small, irrational part of her is hopeful they can take a picture with a polar bear.

Chloe laughs when Nadine voices the thought. “Let’s just say we got lucky with the elephants, love, and leave it at that.”

\------------------------

As the arctic evening begins to turn into an arctic night, Nadine wraps an arm around a shivering Chloe as they make their way leisurely back to camp. Despite their coats being identical in everything but color, and more than adequate for handling the Icelandic climate, Chloe insists that she is turning into an icicle. Nadine is eager to comply with her request for a hug.

“Hurry up and get in the tent, Chloe. I’ll grab the propane heater.”

“Oh, thank the gods, please!” Unzipping the tent, Chloe takes a flying leap onto her sleeping bag and starts removing all her heavy winter garments so she can actually fit inside the thing.

Nadine is not at all fazed that she does so with the tent flap partially open for her to see. Thankfully, there are no other campers nearby. No one else could see inside at this angle. Nadine also does not look away when Chloe strips out of her day clothes. She gets an eyeful of half-naked flesh as the thief pulls on thermal pajamas more suitable for sleeping. Desire starts to pool in Nadine’s nethers, and she grabs the propone heater from the SUV.

Chloe also starts pulling garments out of Nadine’s luggage in preparation for turning in. Whether or not they actually will is anyone’s guess, but she’s glad they brought the extra layers, just in case.

“Nadine, baby! Need you in here! Before I freeze my tits off!”

Nadine wastes no time joining her in the tent. With portable heater and propone tank in hand, she finishes prepping the device and closes the flap to keep the building warmth inside. Chloe is already on her, helping her remove her heavy coat and pants, and practically wrapping herself around the former mercenary’s torso at the first hint of exposed skin.

“Jissus!” Nadine gasps. Chloe wasn’t kidding. She is indeed as cold as ice.

Somehow Nadine manages to wrestle herself into her sleeping garments, despite Chloe gripping tightly at her hip the entire time. Turning off every source of artificial light, save for the propane heater in the corner, Nadine doesn’t even bother to slip into her own sleeping bag. Under the circumstances, she figures there’s plenty of room for two in Chloe’s.

Through the tiny slanted window at the top of the tent, the growing lights of the aurora borealis begin dancing like streamers across the sky. Bewitched by the swirling tails of pink, green, and white, the girlfriends lie for several moments in ethereal silence. Just watching the fantastical display unfold, this is the most transfixed Nadine has seen Chloe all night.

“Well, I’ll be go to hell,” the thief whispers in awe. “Would you look at that?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe barely sees Nadine reach for something off to their right. Before she can ask what she’s doing, Nadine sits up next to her in the sleeping bag, swiftly opening the small velvet box she’d had hidden in her satchel pocket. Inside is one of the most expensive diamonds Chloe thinks she has ever seen, even in her line of work. To either side of the central stone are two smaller ruby accents, and all three pieces are contained in a solid gold band.

“Chloe,” Nadine begins slowly. “We both know I’m not the most eloquent person, so be still and just listen.” Chloe acquiesces, and Nadine swallows her stomach that’s jumped into her throat.

“Three years ago, against a lifetime of training and my better judgement, I followed you onto a train with a bomb. I told you neutralizing that threat was impossible, but you did it. Our relationship since then has been one big explosion after another, a constant string of near misses and improbabilities. But somehow, despite all logic, you’ve always pulled us through.”

Nadine’s hand reaches for Chloe’s, and their eyes meet in the silence that precedes a symphony. Nadine squeezes her hand, and the pressure she uses isn’t so much to keep her partner still, as it is to give her strength to continue.

“Chloe Frazer…will you do me the honor of following me this time? As my partner for life?”

“As your wife?”

“As my wife.”

Launching herself at Nadine, Chloe topples them with enough force to shift the tent. Somewhere between heated kisses and ragged breaths for air, she responds, “Yes, darling, of course I will!”

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly feel like Nadine would be the one to propose first. Not that I think Chloe wouldn't be up for the task, but just a hunch.
> 
> Same as last time, I've never in my life been to Iceland, so lots of hastily done research. Please don't hurt me if something isn't perfectly accurate. But I would appreciate a heads up nonetheless!


End file.
